Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Intro

Violet Sorrengail has trained all her life to be a scribe, with her heart's desire being the Scribe Quadrant at Basgiath War College. Unfortunately for Violet, her mother is General Sorrengail and has a dream for all her children to be riders. Violet has spent her entire life training to be a scribe, so she can't believe it when her mother switches her to the Riders Quadrant instead. Reluctant but honoring her mother's wishes, Violet enters the Riders Quadrant on Conscription Day. Her sister Mira gives her a warning: Never sleep with riders outside your year. And always, at all costs, avoid Xaden Rierson. But Violet is known for ignoring the rules.

How I came across the book

I was constantly seeing this book on BookTok so I was intrigued and got it at my local bookstore.

Other books by the author/In the series

The other books in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros are Iron Flame and Onyx Storm.

The Good

• THE INTRIGUE IN THE FIRST PAGE right away we meet Violet and know her whole story in just a few pages, the author is concise but entertaining and kept me hooked

• Mira’s relationship with Violet is special, not too cruel but not too loving, she and General Sorrengail just want to protect Violet

• The imagery and casual sibling conversations as Mira and Violet are walking to the war college, felt just like older sibling advice but still warning Violet of possible dangers

• Who is Dain Aetos, Violet smiles at the thought of him and says there have been times she wants their friendship to be more, possible love interest?

• Immediately she meets Dylan and Rhiannon and has a good feeling about them, disregarding Mira’s previous advice of not making friends I thought was interesting bc we all instantly look for people to bond with in a new situation

• XADEN RIERSON I HAVE NO WORDS PLUS MIRA’S WARNING THIS IS GONNA BE SO AMAZING TOP TIER ENEMIES TO LOVERS

• XADEN MOVED VIOLET FROM SECOND WING TO HIS WING SO HE COULD BE IN CONTROL OF HER

• IS THIS NOW A LOVE TRIANGLE BETWEEN XADEN AND VIOLET AND DAIN

• XADEN CAN PUT PEOPLE IN SEVERE DANGER AMD KILL THEM WITH HIS SHADOWS BUT HE LET VIOLET LIVE

• WHEN THEY ARE FIGHTING HE CALLS HER VIOLENCE AND SHE SAYS HER NAME IS VIOLENT AND HE SAYS HIS VERSION FITS HER BETTER

• HE ENDS UP ON TOP OF HER ON THE MAT AND LOWERS HIS FACE SO THERE LIPS ARE ONLY INCHES AWAY AND SHE CAN MAKE OUT EVERY SPECK OF GOLD IN HIS ONYX EYES AND SHE HAS TO REMIND HERSELF THAT SHE IS NOT ATTRACTED TO TOXIC MEN

• HE SLIDES THEIR HANDS TO HIS WAIST AND HIPS AS HE IS TALKING AND DAIN IS CLEARLY JEALOUS

• Violet finally bonds with a dragon

• Violet’s dragon is mated with Xaden’s dragon and mates have such a strong bond that if Violet dies Xaden might die too because dragons are severely affected by their riders

• BECAUSE OF THIS THEY ARE NOW AN US AND SHE IS TETHERED TO HIM

• DAIN KISSES HER BUT SHE DOESNT WANT IT ANYMORE SHE SHOULD BE KISSING XADEN

• When Xaden catches all of the people trying to kill violet in her room he says they are all dead and she should have killed them in the field but she is merciful and that is not a trait he posesses

• XADEN KILLS OREN BECAUSE HE TRIED TO KILL VIOLET

• Violet’s signet from Andarna is that she can stop time which is unheard of to be a signet

• Violet finally puts Dain in his place and tells him that he can’t try to protect her anymore

• VIOLET ADMITS THAT SHE WANTS XADEN

• XADEN IS TEACHING HER HOW TO SHIELD FROM TAIRN AND HE SAYS TOUCHING HER WAS A BAD IDEA AND KISSING HER WOULD BE A BAD IDEA AND SHE AGREES BUT THEN HE LOOKS AT HER LIPS AND SAYS FUCK IT

• XADEN HAD A SWORD MADE FOR VIOLET

• Violet and Mira are reunited at Montserrat

• Violet can now talk to Xaden telepathically like she does with her dragons since Tarin and Sgaeyl are mated

• XADEN SAYS HE MADE IT HIS BUSINESS TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT VIOLET THE SECOND HE SAW HER ON THE PARAPET

• When Xaden made Violet a saddle and put it on Tairn just for her she is debating using it or not and xaden in her mind says THAT STUBBORN FEISTY LOOK ALWAYS MAKES HIM WANT TO KISS HER AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO SAID IT WAS A MISTAKE

• Violet's power manifests in the air and she is a lightning wielder and she kills Jack with her signet

• WHEN SHE AND XADEN ARE IN HER ROOM AND THEY BREAK THE ARMOIRE AND SET THE WINDOWS AND TREES ON FIRE

• WHEN THEY ARE IN VIOLET'S ROOM XADEN SAYS SHE CANT FALL FOR HIM

• WHEN VIOLET IS UNCONSIOUS XADEN'S LUNGS ONLY FILL WHEN HERS DO

• XADEN THINGS VIOLET HATES HIM AND HE CONFESSES THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO LOSE HER AND SHE SAYS HE ISN'T AND KISSES HIM

• Xaden tells Violet he would spend every single day earning her trust back and he would rather lose this entire war than live without her

• BRENNAN IS ALIVE AND HE FAKED HIS DEATH FOR THE REVOLUTION

The Bad

• It's so unfair how General Sorrengail is so controlling she should let Violet join the scribe quadrant because it's her passion instead of forcing her daughter to be a rider for her own reputation

• Jack Barlowe is snobby and annoying

• Dain went behind Violet's back and told one of the instructors that she should be moved to the Scribe Quadrant when shes said before she wants to stay in the Riders Quadrant thats so rude why is he so controlling of her

• JACK USES DEATH BLOWS ON VIOLET ON THE MAT AND THAT'S NOT ALLOWED IN SPARRING

• Xaden kisses Violet just to stall until Tairn gets to her when they need to leave Montserrat and is distracting her from wanting to stay with Mira but isn't actually kissing her because he wants to

• During the fight with the venin and wyvern Violet is stabbed with poison and falls off of Tairn

Who else would like this

Fans of romantasy, forbidden love, and enemies to lovers.

Rating

9/10 THIS IS SUCH A STEP UP FROM HAUNTING ADELINE I was nervous for this read because after reading Haunting Adeline and knowing this was also a popular booktok book I didn't know hiow this would go but it was SO SO GOOD. I love Xaden so much and the yearning between both of them was so evident in this book. Violet's second time on the Parapet, the ARMOIRE PART, and the second time in Xaden's bedroom was so absolutely phenomenal I don't actually think I have read a true romantasy before this. I'm a little confused what side the characters are now on since Xaden has been working with the enemy but then also with Violet's mom to fight? I was so shocked when he revealed that he was working with the enemy and that he had just been lying to Violet this entire time after it took so long for her to trust him, and after that betrayal when she wakes up and is in his room they still don't know what they are since he lied but still wants her. I know I would never be able to forgive a betrayal like that. The reveal of the betrayal also made this have a new conflict to it and whether Violet should or should not be with Xaden, and it tested their relationship, but I'M OBSESSED with the confessions he makes to her about how much he loves her. I am so invested in this book and I am so excited to read the next two in the series.